[quote=Toronto News]Maxwell Beech believes in second chances.
It was chance on Tuesday that brought the 37-year-old to the podium in courtroom 103 at the Brampton courthouse, to tell senior Judge Hugh Atwood in a heartfelt speech how grateful he was for his.
When Beech began to speak, with the Crown and judge’s permission during a lull in proceedings, the room grew silent and then emotional, recall those who were present.
In front of a half-full gallery of onlookers, including three offenders sitting in the prisoner’s box, Beech thanked the judge for giving him a chance seven years ago when he was facing serious criminal charges, not sure Atwood would remember his story.
But the judge remembered him.
“How are you doing?” Beech said he asked him.
So he told the judge about his life, how he runs his own business installing blinds and home security systems. He told him he’d been a good father, how he’d been able to raise his son, now 8, to watch him grow up. He just wanted to say thanks, he said. To tell the judge he’d made the right decision.
“King Solomon,” he said, “couldn’t have adjudicated better.”
“He told the story and everyone in the court was in tears. … The judge was in tears,” said Beech’s former defence lawyer, Gary Batasar, his own voice choking as he retold the story.
Witnesses said the judge turned red, weeping silently in his chair, holding his face in his hands.
“It was so emotional, so moving, it was so surreal,” Batasar said. He’d left the courtroom near the end, unable to keep it together. Even the three offenders in the prisoner’s box appeared to have tears in their eyes, he said.
When Beech finished speaking, saying, “Thank you” and “God bless,” the stunned onlookers in the courtroom simply applauded.
The judge said it was the best thing anyone had ever said to him, Batasar recalled. He told Beech he’d “made his year.”
Nothing about that moment had been planned. Batasar had run into Beech by chance in the courthouse that afternoon. Beech told him he’d always wanted to thank the judge, but had neither his name nor contact information.
Knowing the judge was steps away, in bail court, Batasar brought Beech in before Atwood and asked if he could speak, aware that it was an unorthodox request.
“I don’t think it’s ever happened in Canadian history before,” he said later. “It’s not something that I’ve ever seen.”
The justice system is a thankless job, often criticized for its revolving nature, Batasar said. But he said there couldn’t be a judge more deserving of praise than Atwood, who declined to comment to the Star.
“This guy is probably the best judge in the country,” Batasar said. “He personifies grace. He personifies what a judge should be.”
When he was facing sentencing for gun and drug-related charges seven years ago, Beech, who had been tangled up in the justice system as a troubled youth, was told to say his goodbyes.
“I had walked into the room expecting to get four years,” he said.
But in the interval between criminal acts and potential prison time, Beech said he found God, was baptized, and turned in a life of indiscretions to become a “Bible man” and look after his son, whose mother wasn’t really in the picture.
On that day, he was resigned to whatever fate Atwood would assign him.
“I really deserved to have had the book thrown at me,” he said.
“Today I accept that,” he remembered telling the judge. “But I want you to know I’m a changed man,” he pleaded, telling his story.
Atwood told Beech he wasn’t going to give him what his lawyer had recommended: 18 months' house arrest. But he wasn't going with what the Crown asked for, either.
Beech’s heart sank, fearing something worse.
Then Atwood — a man reputed to temper justice with mercy in more than 20 years on the bench — responded in a way he hadn’t expected.
“I could see you're a changed man,” Beech remembers the judge told him. He repeats this phrase like a badge of honour.
Atwood sentenced Beech to serve just 90 days on weekends, reporting to Metro West detention centre on Fridays and released Monday mornings, to go home, and raise his son.
“This man gave me another shot. Another opportunity at life,” Beech said.
But it was more than that. “He saved two lives,” Beech said: his and that of his then-newborn son Immanuel, whose life could have been much different without a constant parent figure.
“It really laid an impression on my heart,” he said. It had always weighed on him to thank the judge for what he’d given him, for believing in him.
For Beech, his brief moment in front of Atwood on Tuesday was both a blur and a blessing.
He said life isn’t always easy. He works hard to provide for his four children. He said he’d like to have the opportunity to speak with youth and offenders, to tell them what he knows now and to tell them there’s a better way.
“People need a chance,” he said.[/quote]
[url=http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1117892--convicted-man-returns-to-thank-the-judge?bn=1]Source[/url]
This is absolutely beautiful. This story goes to show that people are only as hopeless as they allow themselves to be.
That's amazing. Thanks for sharing the article.
Figures this was in Canada.
In the US rehabilitation would never be used because they worry it'll make them look like Canadian pussies.
[QUOTE=thisispain;34300634]Figures this was in Canada.
In the US rehabilitation would never be used because they worry it'll make them look like Canadian pussies.[/QUOTE]
The U.S doesn't [I]do[/I] rehabilitation, you know. Why? No idea, but the entire United States justice system revolves around punishing not correcting. And they wonder why our prisons are bursting at the seams in some states.
[QUOTE=thisispain;34300634]Figures this was in Canada.
In the US rehabilitation would never be used because they worry it'll make them look like Canadian pussies.[/QUOTE]
It's a difference in perspective. Canadians tend to feel that no government should have the right to decide on ideas as abstract as 'right' and 'wrong'. And that no government should have the right to legally murder someone. Law enforcement, as far as Canadians are concerned, is to rehabilitate criminals who can be rehabilitated, and keep the ones beyond help in a place they can't harm the public. More the shield of a defender than Justice's avenging sword.
If you look at Canadian criminal law, there are very few, if any, laws based around morality. If something hurts others without their consent, it's illegal.
our lord and savior jesus christ will guide us to the light, and with my armalite carbine at my side i will deliver justice at 900 rounds per minute against the zionist sinners of america
Always nice to see a nice story like this as you don't see them very often.
Too bad the US doesn't learn from this. Instead they'll continue locking people up for petty shit and treating them like animals and then wonder why there are so many repeat offenders.
[QUOTE=Bones85;34300718]Too bad the US doesn't learn from this. Instead they'll continue locking people up for petty shit and treating them like animals and then wonder why there are so many repeat offenders.[/QUOTE]
There's actually a problem with criminal records regardless of what country you're in. If someone gets arrested, indicted, and comes out the other end looking to go straight, nobody will give them a job because of their record, and they'll have no option but to resort to crime again just to survive.
And the problem is that you can't take away criminal records without creating another security risk from people who get out of jail looking to commit more crimes.
Really heart warming.
Kinda makes my eyes water a bit.
[QUOTE=archangel125;34300677]It's a difference in perspective. Canadians tend to feel that no government should have the right to decide on ideas as abstract as 'right' and 'wrong'. And that no government should have the right to legally murder someone. Law enforcement, as far as Canadians are concerned, is to rehabilitate criminals who can be rehabilitated, and keep the ones beyond help in a place they can't harm the public. More the shield of a defender than Justice's avenging sword.
If you look at Canadian criminal law, there are very few, if any, laws based around morality. If something hurts others without their consent, it's illegal.[/QUOTE]
Something I feel is more touching than the article is your statement here. This is how I believe law should be, and I agree with your statements.
It'd be interesting to see how opinions on those statements differ per country, and how they contrast with those of the administrations of said countries.
The retaliatory nature of the US system is based on the whole eye for an eye theory. It's a lot more gratifying to see the guy who robbed your store go to prison for 5 years than to see him go to rehab, even if it's better for everyone involved. Reforming the justice system would be an extremely difficult battle, because it's traditionally dominated by the Religious Right.
[QUOTE=Regulas021;34301067]It's a lot more gratifying to see the guy who robbed your store go to prison for 5 years than to see him go to rehab.[/QUOTE]
woah speak for yourself.
[QUOTE=thisispain;34301084]woah speak for yourself.[/QUOTE]
Ever been robbed when you're operating on a 2% margin?
[QUOTE=Regulas021;34301067]It's a lot more gratifying to see the guy who robbed your store go to prison for 5 years than to see him go to rehab[/QUOTE]
Depends on the person. Also, the role of a government is not to extend themselves to unduly lengths for the gratification of their people, particularly when that extension would be at the expense of someone else's gratification.
If you want to send people to jail solely because somebody is incapable of sleeping without the knowledge they've condemned someone, I'm afraid you're running a horrid mix of a dictatorship and a republic, with the terrible aftertaste of both.
[QUOTE=Regulas021;34301120]Ever been robbed when you're operating on a 2% margin?[/QUOTE]
yes.
still would prefer them to be rehabilitated. i really think you should speak for yourself when you talk about gratification. a lot of people don't hold that viewpoint and i'm glad they don't because it's a terrible viewpoint.
[QUOTE=Regulas021;34301067]The retaliatory nature of the US system is based on the whole eye for an eye theory. It's a lot more gratifying to see the guy who robbed your store go to prison for 5 years than to see him go to rehab, even if it's better for everyone involved. Reforming the justice system would be an extremely difficult battle, because it's traditionally dominated by the Religious Right.[/QUOTE]
And look at the good it's doing. American state and federal prisons are infamously overcrowded. Convictions are high, to the point that you have an incarceration [i]industry[/i]. People are also canned for victimless crimes which kinda contradicts "eye for an eye", I won't speak of that further because it'll likely spawn an unrelated debate.
American law tends against seeking reform in a person who has committed crime, thus people who may not identify themselves or may not be identified as criminals are nevertheless branded as such. These people who are not helped are more likely to re-offend. The retaliatory prison system harms its country and its people.
[QUOTE=thisispain;34301165]yes.
still would prefer them to be rehabilitated. i really think you should speak for yourself when you talk about gratification. a lot of people don't hold that viewpoint and i'm glad they don't because it's a terrible viewpoint.[/QUOTE]
I don't hold that viewpoint either. I spent a few days near Christmas helping a friend of mine clean up his store (I'm not really sure on the details, I think the guy was a former employee) who completely cleaned it out, and he waxed philosophical about it the entire time. It really drove home to me how aggressive people who have been wronged can get on this sort of thing.
I think it's the way most people feel when this sort of bad shit happens to them. I think the Nordic model works best, but you'd have a hell of a time passing it here.
He found God
God saved him guys
[QUOTE=Regulas021;34301460]I think the Nordic model works best, but you'd have a hell of a time passing it here.[/QUOTE]
Elaborate a little on the Nordic model for the benefit of the thread.
he's a fucking criminal
lock him up for life
better lock his son up for good measure as well
[QUOTE=archangel125;34301477]Elaborate a little on the Nordic model for the benefit of the thread.[/QUOTE]
It's reform based. Prisoners are given all sorts of things that are pretty much unheard of, here.
[img]http://www.jus.uio.no/ikrs/english/research/prisonexempt.jpg[/img]
This picture, the first result for an image search of "Nordic Prison", sums it up better than anything, I think. Prisoners are allowed a much greater range of freedoms and the focus is put on identifying the root cause of their criminal behavior rather than punishing them for what they did. Their recidivism is tiny in comparison.
[QUOTE=Regulas021;34301460]I don't hold that viewpoint either. I spent a few days near Christmas helping a friend of mine clean up his store (I'm not really sure on the details, I think the guy was a former employee) who completely cleaned it out, and he waxed philosophical about it the entire time. It really drove home to me how aggressive people who have been wronged can get on this sort of thing.
I think it's the way most people feel when this sort of bad shit happens to them. I think the Nordic model works best, but you'd have a hell of a time passing it here.[/QUOTE]
If someone robbed me out of a mistreated childhood or lack of knowledge, I'd want them to be educated as to what they did wrong.
I'd rather be told what i did wrong and be rehabilitated then locked up with serial rape/murderers and forced to act like dogs to survive
[editline]20th January 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Contag;34301538]he's a fucking criminal
lock him up for life
better lock his son up for good measure as well[/QUOTE]
gas chamber
turn on the shower and fire the oven
[QUOTE=Regulas021;34301120]Ever been robbed when you're operating on a 2% margin?[/QUOTE]
Does locking the person up solve anything though
[QUOTE=Lambeth;34301616]Does locking the person up solve anything though[/QUOTE]
One could argue fear of that sort of punishment is a deterrent.
In reality, of course not, but like I said, it's a retaliatory system.
Where is the electric chair when you need it? On the dump? Good that's where it belongs.
No offense to most you people and your self righteousness but you're telling me that the first thing that will cross your mind regarding the man/woman who just mugged you is 'boy, they're misunderstood/doing it out of necessity/hope they are educated on their mistake' etc.?
Sounds a little unrealistic to me.
That's not what we're saying at all. We're considering the impact and consequences of a retaliation-based judicial system, and the merits of rehabilitation.
[QUOTE=Jim_Riley;34301943]No offense to most you people and your self righteousness but you're telling me that the first thing that will cross your mind regarding the man/woman who just mugged you is 'boy, they're misunderstood/doing it out of necessity/hope they are educated on their mistake' etc.?
Sounds a little unrealistic to me.[/QUOTE]
well that's why it's called the first thing that will cross your mind.
the first thing that crosses my mind when i see something isn't always the smartest thing so it's probably not the most correct one either.
plus we're talking about the justice system, not the first thing that i think when someone mugs me. when i get mugged, usually i go home and lie on the floor to stop myself from having a nervous breakdown.
"yes we've decided to implement the 'first thing that crossed my mind' justice system"
"rape as a form of judicial sanction went up significantly"
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